A former Royal Marine says his symptoms of the deadliest type of brain cancer were dismissed by doctors as “dehydration” and the result of spending too much time in front of a screen.
James Greenwood, 42, from Mold, North Wales, began experiencing dizziness and “constant, dull headaches” in May.
She visited her GP twice and was told her problems were probably due to a combination of eye strain and not drinking enough water at her office job at a property firm.
However, within a month he began experiencing an agonising headache which led him to visit the emergency room and request further tests.
For her devastating outcome, doctors discovered a walnut-sized grade four glioblastoma (the deadliest type of fast-growing brain cancer) and gave her a prognosis of 12 to 18 months.
Doctors told James Greenwood, 42, from Wales, that his headaches were likely a result of working in front of a screen combined with dehydration.
James underwent brain surgery to remove the tumor on June 28, followed by a six-week course of chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
He is now waiting to see if the treatment has improved his prognosis, before starting more intensive chemotherapy treatment at the end of October.
James has tried to “savour” every moment since his diagnosis, attributing this mindset to the training he received in the Royal Marines, in which he served for five years from the age of 18.
“For me, it’s about trying to be as normal as possible,” she said. “There are a lot of people who believe that positivity is a great benefit in fighting disease. I can’t understand how to deal with this any other way.”
James first noticed something was wrong with his health on May 24 when he was talking to his brother-in-law and began to feel dizzy.
James underwent surgery to remove the tumour, as well as chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and is currently waiting to see if it was successful.
James says his positive attitude to his harrowing situation is largely down to his Royal Navy training. “It instils in you the belief that no matter what situation or scenario you’re faced with, you can overcome it,” he said.
He said: ‘My vision was faltering a bit and I needed to sit down for a while. I’d always been in impeccable health, so I thought it was a little unusual.
Shortly after, James said he began experiencing headaches that began as a “constant” and “dull” pain.
She booked an appointment with her GP for June 5, where she was told her symptoms were likely related to dehydration and that an eye examination might be necessary.
James also had blood tests and an electrocardiogram (ECG), a noninvasive test that measures the electrical activity of the heart, but he said there were “no concerns” from both tests.
After walking with difficulty for a few days, James said he had an unusual episode in Manchester on June 10.
“I was walking through the city and it was like an out-of-body experience, everything around me slowed down,” she said.
She made a same-day appointment with her GP and was told her symptoms were consistent with migraines.
“I’d never suffered from migraines in the past, so I was sceptical. Just like at the first GP appointment, I insisted on having some sort of ultrasound done – maybe it was a sixth sense or something, but I knew how I felt and was trying to get some peace of mind more than anything.”
James (left) and his friends ran along the Edale Skyline in the Peak District to raise money for brain tumour research.
James said she was prescribed medication to relieve her migraine and told she should make another appointment by the end of the week if it didn’t have the desired effect.
Two days later, James said he woke up around 5 a.m. with a severe headache and went to the emergency room with his girlfriend.
A CT scan revealed a three-and-a-half-centimeter by three-and-a-half-centimeter mass in the right temporal lobe area of his brain.
James’ case was further evaluated and a neurosurgeon informed him that his symptoms were consistent with a high-grade tumor.
He underwent brain surgery to remove the mass on June 28 and was told on August 8 that it had been identified as a grade four glioblastoma and that he had a prognosis of 12 to 18 months.
“There are days when you have to pinch yourself and wonder if this is really happening,” James said.
“Receiving the news is incredibly hard and you go through an initial period of shock, but then you are forced to process it and try to make the best of it.”
Tessa Jowell with her daughter Jess and granddaughter Ottie. In 2018, the former Labour MP died after a battle with advanced brain cancer, glioblastoma
James underwent a six-week course of chemotherapy and radiotherapy with the aim of improving his prognosis.
She completed her last round of radiotherapy on September 19 and will have a one-month rest period before starting more intensive chemotherapy at the end of October.
He said this, combined with regular MRI scans, should shed light on how effective the treatment has been.
“It’s been somewhat liberating, oddly enough,” James said.
‘I think we’re probably all guilty of taking some people for granted, our loved ones, friends, family, but this has had the effect of reconnecting me with certain old friends, I think it’s brought the family closer together.
“It changes your perspective and it’s a bit cliché, but you try to savour every moment.”
James said he has tried to adopt a positive mindset and that his time in the Royal Marines, which he joined in May 2000 for five years, has helped him.
The Wanted’s Tom Parker died in 2022 after being diagnosed with glioblastoma. Pictured: Tom Parker at the Good Morning Britain Christmas special in December 2021
‘It instills in you the belief that no matter what situation or scenario you are faced with, you can overcome it.
“When you put yourself in that situation, it resonates and makes sense.”
On September 21, James and three of his friends ran the Edale Skyline, a 20-mile hiking route through the Peak District, with the aim of fundraising for brain tumour research, raising over £14,000 so far.
“It all worked out really well, it was like revisiting my version of normal. I wanted it to be a total escape from everything and it served its purpose,” James said.
‘It has always been a goal of mine to raise a set amount for charity over the course of my life and the fact that we have reached the total we have is absolutely incredible.
“It’s probably not going to benefit me, but in the future, for other people who may find themselves in this position, if there’s a bit more investment, development and awareness around the treatment, other people will be able to reap the benefits of that.”